Valencia plays host to a triumphant fifth edition of Cartoon Springboard

by Alfonso Rivera

03/10/2019 - More than 160 young European animation professionals gathered for this year’s event, aimed at promoting creativity in the sector, with a particularly strong showing from Spain, France and Italy

Valencia plays host to a triumphant fifth edition of Cartoon Springboard

The Ducks by Ángela Arregui Chavarría

Back for a fifth year and sponsored by the Creative Europe MEDIA sub-programme, Cartoon Springboard saw young animation professionals from all over Europe descend on the Polytechnic University of Valencia between 30 September and 2 October 2019. The event attracted more than 160 delegates, a diverse mix of producers, directors, editors and other technical professionals linked to this segment of the audiovisual industry. Over the three days, 24 projects from 14 different countries were selected.

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The event was open to graduates of European animation schools who had completed their degrees within the last five years. Participants got the opportunity to learn how major television networks, streaming platforms and distribution companies make their content purchasing decisions and to receive feedback on their own work. Among the Spanish projects featured, two were developed by graduates of Valencian institutions: the children’s series A.S.S., by Almudena Sancho, Roberto Bianchi and David Gallego (Barreira Arte+Diseño), and The Ducks, by Ángela Arregui Chavarría (Polytechnic University of Valencia). The selection included projects submitted by students at various European animation schools, including Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg (Germany), Les Gobelins (France, The Animation Workshop (Denmark), UWE Bristol (United Kingdom) and La Poudrière (France).

The remaining projects were: the preschool television series Wild Time, directed by Ireland’s Deborah Tan (produced by Jam Media); the Finnish adult web series Bad to the Boner, by Robert Lönnqvist; the German children’s mini-series Grandma’s Pond, by Friedrich Schäper and Anastasia Heinzl (Studio Huckepack); Night Cat, also from Germany, by Jessica Drechsler and Nina Schwarz; the family show Baldies, by Eliska Podzimkova, produced by Czech company Old&Rich Production; the British web series Hey Pappy, by Cilian Dubock, Hector Kuenzler-Byrt and Ben Spybey; the Croatian family film Lilly of the Valley, by Domagoj Bogdan; Lost Enthusiasm, by Ludka Kierczak, Jakub Kostal and Julita Olszewska, produced by Bionaut (Czech Republic) and Kosmonaut (Poland); Orc Inc., by Coen Balkestein, Paul de Vrijer and Laura Stout, a series produced by Dutch company Nnisper; Greek family series Soft Queer Stories (No One Dies), by Alex Tagali and Mikaela Kakaridi; and Danish TV series Tales of Zale, by Sif Savery.

Rounding out the Spanish contingent were BFFS! by José Balbuena; Home Villa Tours, by Irene Chica and Rocío Mira (Peekaboo Animation), aimed at the youngest members of the family, and young adult film Ravenclaws, by José Navarro (Spain/Ireland). Italy was ably represented by the series The Legend of the Great Skull, by Lamberto Anderloni; Anselmo Wannabe, by Massimo Ottoni; and Heka, by Anita Verona, Gaia Zavoli, Federica Carbone, Irene Camporeale and Alberto Longo.

Meanwhile, France offered up the family series The Legend of Jack, by Aurélien Fromentin; Blue Figures, by Nathan Otaño — a series for adults produced by Laïdak Films; Holy Shit! (also for adults) by Marine Cortier; Jean-Claude, Pocket Assistant, by Tom Chertier and Flora Delaby; and My Granny is a Terror by Elodie Dermange and Aurélie Monteix — a co-production with Switzerland.